Mixing type liquid dispenser with capillary dip tube

ABSTRACT

A dispenser comprising a can containing pressurized liquid and having a valve to control the discharge. Connected with the valve and disposed inside the can is a second valve and a collapsible container, the latter having flexible walls and a watery product therein such as hydrogen peroxide which is pressurized due to the pressure existing against the flexible container walls. The second valve controls the outflow of the watery product from the container as effected by the pressure against the walls thereof. In this environment the invention provides, within the said container and connected to the second valve, a capillary tube constituting a discharge passage. The capillary tube may constitute a dip tube, and has the effect of smoothing out the rate of discharge of the watery product from the container under conditions of different pressures.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Wolf Steiman FOREIGN PATENTS M. Conn. 258.883 4/1963 Australia 222/464 1 PP 3 1,018,480 1/1966 Great Britain H ZZZ/402.24 [22] Filed 1111161 9 1,288,381 2/1962 France 222/464 [45] Patented Aug. 10, 1971 l 1 [73] Assignee valve Corponuon 0 America Prunary Examiner-Samuel F. Coleman Bridgeport Conn. Assistant Exam mer- David A. Scherbel Attorney-H. Gibner Lehmann ABSTRACT: A dispenser comprising a can containing pres- [54] MIXING TYPE LIQUID DISPENSER surized liquid and having a valve to control the discharge. Connected with the valve and disposed inside the can 15 a CAPILLARY DIP TUBE ChimaZDnwing Figs. second valve and a collapsible contamer, the latter having flexible walls and a watery product therein such as hydrogen U.S. peroxide which is pressurized due to the pressure existing Z22/402-l- 222/464 against the flexible container walls. The second valve controls Int. t. he outflow of the watery product from the container as ef. [50] Field olSearch 222/94.95. fecled by the pressure against the walls thereof in this en. 136, l45,402.l,402.l8.402-24.46 vironment the invention provides, within the said container and connected to the second valve, a capillary tube constitut- [56] ing'a discharge passage. The capillary tube may constitute a U D STATES PATENTS dip tube. and has the effect of smoothing out the rate of 3,499,581 3/1970 Lehmann 222/94 X discharge of the watery product from the container under con- 3,503.S39 3/1970 O'Donnell..... 222/95 ditions ofdifferent pressures.

'50 i6 14- 32 1 5 61tk 5 i6 1 as 2% PATENTED AUG] 0 IBYI 15 596 z 290 INVENTOR Wolf fife Lma n.

MIXING TYPE LIQUID DISPENSER WITH CAPILLARY DIP TUBE CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Copending application of William R. ODonnell, entitled Handheld Dispenser With Dual Valve, Ser. No. 707,264, filed Feb. 21, 1968, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,503,539 and having common ownership with the present application.

BACKGROUND This invention relates to pressurized, handheld dispensers, and more particularly to mixing dispensers of this type wherein several different liquids, normally isolated in the dispenser, are mixed during the discharge operation to produce specific results such as heated shaving lather, etc.

I-Ieretobefore, in heated lather dispensers a watery liquid such as hydrogen peroxide is carried in a collapsible inner container whose walls are subjected to collapsing pressures by pressurized liquid or propellant'disposed in the space between the inner and outer container walls. When a discharge passage is opened from the inner container to the atmosphere the peroxide is discharged at a rate which varies greatly, depending on the variable pressure exerted against the inner container walls due to the propellant becoming exhausted. The rate of discharge of the companion liquid in the dispenser, comprising the lathering and softening agents, is not as variable due to their being discharged through a relatively long dip tube. Thusthe variable rate of discharge of the peroxide, which is the oxidizing agent depended on to produce the heat, undesirably results in nonuniform heating of the lather product and hence nonuniform results, this constituting a distinct disadvantage.

SUMMARY The foregoing drawbacks and shortcomings of prior mixingtype dispensers are obviated by the presentinvention, one object being the provision of a novel and improved dispenser of the kind indicated, wherein a more uniform heating of the lather or more uniform mixing of the isolated liquids of the dispenser occurs. This is accomplished by minimizing the relatively wide variation in the rate of discharge of the watery liquid or peroxide, or in other words smoothing out the rate of flow thereof whereby it more closely follows the flow rate of the companion liquid or lathering agent. In effecting such smoothing of the flow rate, a capillary discharge tube is provided in the inner container which has the peroxide, whereby all discharge from the inner container must pass through said tube and be subjected to the drag produced thereby. Higher discharge pressures thus cannot cause as high a rate of flow when compared to lower pressures, as when no capillary discharge tube is utilized.

Other objects of the invention reside in the provision of an improved mixing-type dispenser as above set forth, wherein especially simple components are utilized, wherein existing mixing-valve structures may be used with virtually no alteration, and wherein the operation is reliable and foolproof.

Still other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a mixing-type dispenser embodying the invention and shown in the nondischarging condition.

FIG. 2 is a view like that of FIG. 1, showing the dispenser in the discharging condition.

Referring to the figures. the present improved mixing dispenser comprises a relatively rigid, metal outer container or can ofa usual type, having a top shoulder 12 and neck portion 14, the latter being spanned by a usual type of metal mounting cup 16. The cup 16 has a raised central portion I8 of inverted cuplike configuration, provided with a central opening 20 in its transverse or top wall, the said opening having an upwardly drifted edge 22 and being of a size to slidably receive a vertical valve stem designated generally by the numeral 24. I

Within the container 10 and carried by the raised portion 18 of the mounting cup 16 thereof is a tubular molded plastic valve housing 26 having a stepped central bore 28, and having at its upper end an annular exterior mounting flange 30 which is snugly received in the portion 18 of the mounting cup, and is retained therein by inwardly offset portions 32 of the cup.

Clamped between the top wall 34 of the cup portion 18 and the upper end of the valve housing 26 is a resilient diaphragm or valve washer 36, having a central opening through which the valve stem 24 extends.

The upper portion of the valve stem 24 carries a usual type of depress button 38 having a discharge nozzle 40, said button being guided in a stationary body 42 attached to the upper portion of the container 10.

The valve stem 24 and housing 26 with the valve washer or seat 36 are so constituted as to comprise a dual mixing valve including a positive shutoff poppet whereby, in conjunction with a flexible and collapsible bag or compartment provided in the container 10, there is effected in the housing a separation or else a mixing to two liquids, one from the container contents and the other from the enclosed compartment or bag.

The flexible and collapsible compartment or bag is designated 44 and has a neck portion 46 which is secured around the lower portion of the valve housing 26 so that the bore of the latter communicates with the interior of the bag 44. Any suitable means may be employed to secure the bag 44 to the valve housing 26 in tight sealing relation therewith, as will be understood. The containers 44 and 10 are effectively kept isolated during nonuse of the dispenser by means of a simple slide-type valve.

Cooperable with the valve washer 36 is an annular exterior shoulder or poppet portion 48 provided intermediate the ends of the valve stem 24, said stem having an upper portion 50 of tubular configuration located above the shoulder 48, and having a side passage 52 in the wall of the portion 50, immediately adjacent the valve shoulder. A valve return spring 54 engages the shoulder 48 and also an interior annular shoulder 56 in the valve housing, thereby to bias the valve stem 24 upward as viewed in FIG. I, maintaining the shoulder 48 in engagement with the valve washer 36 whereby the valve is closed, preventing egress of the contents of the container 10 and bag 44.

Adjoining the shoulder 56 in the valve housing 26 is an annular valve seat or slide valve portion in the form of an integral bead 58, which is engageable with a lower cylindrical slide valve or portion 60 of the valve stem 24, thereby to close off the bore of the valve housing at said point and prevent passage of liquid upward from the flexible bag 44.

The valve stem 24 has a side depression 62 located above the cylindrical slide valve portion 60 as seen in FIG. 1, which is adapted to be disposed within the annular valve seat or bead 58 when the valve stem is depressed or forced inward as illustrated in FIG. 2. For such position, the side passage 52 of the tubular portion 50 of the valve stem 24 will be disposed within the valve housing 26, and accordingly a passage is thus provided whereby the contents of the flexible bag 44 can be discharged upward through the housing 26, past the lower portion of the valve stem 24, inwardly through the side passage 52 thereof and up through the tubular upper portion 50 of the stem, to be discharged from the nozzle portion 40 of the depress button 38.

The valve housing 26 also has a side passage 62a carrying a dip tube 66 by which communication is established between the interior of the container 10 and the interior of the valve housing 26. Accordingly, when the valve stem 24 is depressed as illustrated in FIG. 2, the contents of the container 10 may also be discharged, such contents flowing inward through the tube 66 and side passage 620 into the interior of the valve housing 26 and (at such location) mixing with the liquid which is flowing upward from the flexible bag 44.

The mixture of these liquids will then pass through the side passage 52 of the valve stem, and upward through the tubular portion 50 to be discharged from the nozzle 40 of the depress button 38 as a mixture.

Where the dispensing device is intended to dispense a warm lather or foam, the flexible bag 44 may contain hydrogen peroxide. A lathering mixture may be provided in the container 10, made up of various ingredients. Such lathering mixture, in addition to soaping, foaming and softening agents, may contain as an example sodium hypophosphite; or instead it may contain potassium sulfite. Such substances, when mixing with the hydrogen peroxide flowing upward from the flexible bag 44, causes a chemical reaction which results in an exothermic nonexplosive decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide whereby heat is produced and supplied to the mixture so that the discharge from the nozzle 40 of the depress button 38 is in the form of a heated foam or lather.

lt will be understood that the contents of the container may be pressurized by the addition of any suitable nonreactive, pressurizing agent, as for example a 40/60 mixture of dichlorofluoromethane and symmetrical dichlorotetrafluoroethane. Other propellant substances may be used, as well, their use being well known in the art.

Accordingly, the contents of the container 10 will effect a pressurizing of the same, and such pressure will be transmitted to the flexible bag 44, causing a collapsing action of the same and effecting an internal pressure to which the hydrogen peroxide in the bag is subjected. In consequence, when the valve stem 24 is depressed as illustrated in FlG. 2, the pressurized liquids in the container 10 and bag 44 will result in the contents thereof being discharged through the valve housing 26, upper valve stem portion 50 and discharge nozzle 40.

it will be understood that for the nondischarging position of FIG. l, the pressure within the container 10 will at all times be transmitted to the contents of the flexible bag 44, tending to discharge the contents of the same upward through the valve housing 26. Such pressure will be manifested at the underside of the annular valve seat 58, considering FIG. 1. However, a corresponding and opposite pressure will be manifested within the valve housing 26, in a downward direction against the valve seat 58, due to the communication which exists between the interior ofthe housing and the interior of the container 10.

Accordingly, the only valve device which is called upon to withstand the total pressure existing in the dispenser comprises the valve shoulder or poppet portion 48 of the valve stem, cooperating with the valve disk or washer 36. Due to the pressure equalization at the seat 58 l have found that, contrary to what might be expected, the simple slide-type valve comprising the stem portion 60 is wholly effective in keeping the two liquids of the dispenser completely separated for all practical purposes. Such arrangement is not only especially simple, but has been proved to be particularly effective and leakproof over a period of years.

It will be noted that the dip tube 66 has appreciable and significant length, extending from the side opening or fitting 62a to the bottom of the outer container or can 10. The passage of liquid product from the container through the dip tube 66 involves a certain amount of resistance to flow which among other factors is a function of the tube length since the walls of the tube cause a drag on the flow of the liquid. l have found that the damping effect of the drag is more pronounced when higher propellant pressures exist in the can, whereas the damping effect is not so pronounced for the lower pressures of propellant. Accordingly, during initial periods of discharge, the flow through the dip tube 66 is not so great as one might expect with the container 10 filled and having the maximum propellant pressure. As at present understood, the dip tube 66 has somewhat the effect of smoothing out the rate of flow of liquid from the can 10 for the various and different conditions of pressure.

In accordance with the present invention, use is made of this phenomena for effecting a more uniform mixing of the two different liquids and a more uniform heating oflather product for different pressure conditions, all by smoothing out the rate of discharge of liquid from the collapsible inner container 48 through the use of a capillary or dip tube in said inner container.

Accordingly, the bore 28 of the valve housing 26 is provided with an internal shoulder 68, and a capillary tube of relatively small bore is provided, frictionally fitted in the bore 28 and positioned against the shoulder 68. The hydrogen peroxide in the inner container 44 comprises a watery liquid, being by way of example 97 percent water and 3 percent actual hydrogen peroxide. For such watery solution, the capillary tube 70 may have a bore diameter on the order of from 0.020 inch to 0.035 inch. Slightly smaller or larger bore diameters may be utilized, depending on the particular conditions of use and result which is desired, and on the specific combinations of liquids being used in the dispenser.

The capillary tube 70 reduces the variation in flow due to pressure differentials as the container becomes exhausted. In other words, the use of the capillary tube 70 smoothes out the flow curve in a manner generally similar to that effected by the dip tube 66. The capillary tube 70 is shown as constituting a dip tube, extending virtually to the bottom of the collapsible container 44.

With the above arrangement a satisfactory flow of the watery liquid from the inner container 44 can occur under low pressures, and where higher pressures exist the flow will encounter greatly increased resistance through the tube 70. It will be understood that a very great flow through the capillary tube 70 is difficult to achieve, being normally beyond the capability of the higher pressures encountered even when the dispenser is completely filled to the extent desired (which provides maximum propellant pressures Therefore excessive amounts of hydrogen peroxide (beyond those needed for satisfactory heating) are not discharged when the dispenser is in the full condition, and there is thus effected an economy in the amount needed initially.

The dip tube 66 is shown as having a larger bore since it carries a more viscous liquid than the watery liquid carried in the capillary tube 70. The bore of the dip tube 66 may be varied to adapt it to the viscosity of the liquid it carries, in relation to the bore of the capillary tube 70 whereby these two tubes have similar smoothing effects on the rates of flow.

it will now be seen from the foregoing that l have provided an especially simple yet effective mixing-type dispenser wherein the tendency for watery liquids such as hydrogen peroxide to experience an undesirably great rate of flow during the initial periods of use of the dispenser is appreciably minimized. In consequence of both liquids being subjected to the smoothing action of capillary or dip tubes, there is a more uniform mixing under conditions of different pressures, and consequently a more uniform heating of lather is obtained where the dispenser is of the type intended to dispense a lather shaving product.

Relatively few parts are involved in the mixing structure, said parts being constituted essentially of those already existing in the art and being combined for the first time in the unique manner disclosed herein.

Variations and modifications of the disclosed structures are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

I. A mixing-type liquid dispensing device of the kind containing two liquids which are normally isolated from each other and are maintained under pressure, said device comprising in combination:

a. an outer container adapted to carry a pressurized liquid produce, said outer container having an outlet opening,

b. means including a valve housing disposed in the outlet opening of the outer container for closing the same, said valve housing having a pair of inlet passages,

c. a collapsible inner container for holding a watery liquid,

said inner container being located within the outer container and being adapted to be pressurized by the pressure in the latter, said inner container being connected to said valve housing to communicate with one of said inletpassages, and d. a capillary dip tube of less than 0.035 dia. bore, disposed in said inner container and connected with said one inlet passage, for smoothing out the rate of flow of the watery liquid from the inner container, into the valve housing under conditions of differing pressures,

e. the other of the inlet passages of the valve housing communicating with the interior of the outer container.

2. A dispensing device as in claim 1 wherein:

A. the capillary tube has a bore of from .020 inch to .035 

1. A mixing-type liquid dispensing device of the kind containing two liquids which are normally isolated from each other and are maintained under pressure, said device comprising in combination: a. an outer container adapted to carry a pressurized liquid product, said outer container having an outlet opening, b. means including a valve housing disposed in the outlet opening of the outer container for closing the same, said valve housing having a pair of inlet passages, c. a collapsible inner container for holding a watery liquid, said inner container being located within the outer container and being adapted to be pressurized by the pressure in the latter, said inner container being connected to said valve housing to communicate with one of said inlet passages, and d. a capillary dip tube of less than 0.035 inch dia. bore, disposed in said inner container and connected with said one inlet passage, for smoothing out the rate of flow of the watery liquid from the inner container, into the valve housing under conditions of differing pressures, e. the other of the inlet passages of the valve housing communicating with the interior of the outer container.
 2. A dispensing device as in claim 1, wherein: A. the capillary tube has a bore of from 0.020 inch to 0.035 inch in diameter.
 3. A dispensing device as in claim 1, and further including: a. valve means in said one inlet passage of the valve housing, for controlling the flow of watery liquid into the housing from said capillary tube.
 4. A dispensing device as in claim 1, and further including: a. a dip tube connected to said other inlet passage and extending into said outer container, said dip tube and capillary tube terminating at the bottoms of their respective containers. 